Parallax
by P.S. Speare
Summary: Things that are done can't be undone, but as Sasuke learns, the past is not always irreversible. (Warning: Shounen-ai - SasuNaru, KakaIru)
1. Prologue

A/N: This was written in response to a SasuNaru contest posted to the Naruto Yaoi ML. It's rather a last minute entry, so I apologize for the rushed nature of the story. :)

(***)

_Parallax: Prologue _

(***)

"The present is the necessary product of all the past, the necessary cause of all the future."

- Robert G. Ingersoll, lecture (1899)

(***)

He knew that some would forfeit their lives for the opportunity he'd been given.

Benediction.

Salvation.

Absolution.

Who wouldn't sacrifice his life for such a blessed fantasy?

Thin, chapped lips curled themselves into a poor mockery of a smile.

Indeed, his dreams and wishes had become nothing more than that, hadn't they? Nothing more than a fantasy ... intangible, elusive threads of gossamer that were as impossible to capture as the splendors of midnight.

Lazily, he tilted his head back against the tree trunk he'd been leaning on, allowing the rough bark to dig uncomfortably into his back and scalp.

The rich velvet of the evening sky splayed out in an encompassing shroud above him, hosting the scattered stars in a breathtaking array of diamonds. Through the tree's concealing leaves, he saw the waning orb of the moon, her revealing light a silent witness to the flaws and fears that plagued the Earth's creatures. Small or big, good or bad, right or wrong ... there was no doubt that She had seen Fate's fickle hand play with lives like mere puppets on strings.

A deep, resonating chuckle escaped his throat at the thought. The sound was clear and easily cut through the serene forest with pristine precision, but it boasted a brittle, hollow quality that reflected a tired body and a tired soul.

Him? Being controlled like a puppet?

No, he was stronger than that, and he would happily challenge anyone who dared contest the fact.

After all, wasn't it because of his strength that he was still alive today?

Wasn't that why he was the _only one_ still alive today?

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, letting the refreshingly cool air clean out his lungs. In the distance, if he stayed motionless enough, if he stayed quiet enough, he could hear the voices of days long past, and of tears and laughter long forgotten, all mingling in with the sounds of the surrounding forest.

In his head, Naruto's brash, obnoxious shouts rang clear. In his head, Sakura's forceful demeanor shone through. And in his head, Kakashi's stable, laid back presence lingered still. But he understood that the moment he opened his eyes, everything would disappear and reality would come crashing back, stealing these carefully guarded images away like a so-called thief in the night.

Nevertheless, he opened his eyes and allowed his memories to disperse. He had never been one to avoid hardship or pain, and he would not begin now. Turning his head, his gaze fell upon the scroll that sat by his side. Slowly, and almost reverently, he ran his fingers over it, marveling at how that simple thing had the power to change it all. He had painstakingly stolen it from the nearby shinobi temple, the rumors he'd heard during his travels drawing him to it with an unknowing invitation to test out its contents.

In one smooth motion, he grabbed the cylindrical object and unrolled it across his lap. Dark, curious eyes automatically began to scan the markings scrawled throughout the aged surface, his active mind instinctively analyzing and interpreting what he saw. Years of training and fighting had prepared him well, for within minutes, comprehension dawned.

There were warnings and cautionary comments aplenty on the thing, all neatly depicted in some long-dead shinobi's hand, but he had given this too much thought to turn back now. Anything he did from this point onwards would be infinitely better than what he had already done, and he was more than willing to suffer the consequences.

With confident, sure movements, his hands began to imitate the jutsu etched on the scroll. He could feel his energy being channeled throughout his body, causing every muscle to sing and vibrate in tune with the particles around him. And his thoughts ... his thoughts had long flown away like feathers in the wind, leaving him with neither inhibitions nor reservations.

He had said that some would give their lives for this very opportunity. And it was the truth ... for he was one of them.

  
End Prologue

  



	2. Chapter 1

_Parallax: Chapter 1 _

(***)

"Hey, do you guys believe in fate?"

Haruno Sakura looked inquisitively at her two teammates, her whispered question hanging open-ended as she waited for a response.

Sasuke, lounging comfortably on a tree limb directly above her own, deigned to give her his patented 'I-don't-care' glare before turning his gaze back to the forest path they'd been watching for the past hour. She hadn't expected an answer from him, and it was nice to know that she understood his character so well. But sometimes, though she never voiced it, she wished that he'd show a little more emotion. She wasn't asking for much really - a less serious word here, or a voluntary compliment there ... anything to let her know that he was still human.

But then, he wouldn't be the enigmatic, brooding Sasuke that caused all female hearts within a ten mile radius to flutter, she rationalized. And as loathed as she was to admit it, she would view him in a different regard if he ever lost his mysterious air.

"Hmm ... I don't know, Sakura." Naruto's abrasive voice pulled her attention away from the dark-haired boy. "Why do you ask?"

She glanced down at the blonde positioned on the branch below hers, fighting the habitual urge to wince that appeared whenever the boy used that ingratiating tone with her. Trying to temper the sarcasm in her voice, she readjusted her body a little more comfortably against the tree and answered when she felt calm enough.

"Well, I was just wondering," she said thoughtfully, "if this criminal we're supposed to catch knew what he was doing when he stole from the Hokage. I mean, he must have known that they'd send someone after him, so you could say that his fate was set the moment he took that urn."

Confused blue eyes trained themselves on her.

"Sakura thinks too much," Naruto stated plainly with a wide grin. "Besides, I'll catch this guy and bring him back to the village with no problem. So this fate stuff won't matter at all."

Sakura threw her head back and let out an exasperated breath. Naruto just didn't get it. But then again, he never got much of anything, in her opinion, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Trying to have an intelligent conversation with the blonde was like teaching a frog to tap dance; simply put, it was a complete waste of time, although in the frog's defense, it might actually respond more intelligently.

Yet, at times, she wondered if Naruto's blatant stupidity and brash ignorance were perhaps what made him the smartest one among them all.

Above her, she noticed Sasuke's lips twitch up slightly at the blonde's nonsensical comment, and marveled at how only Naruto seemed to always be the one to elicit any change of expression from the brunette - minor as it was.

"Umm ... do you think Kakashi-sensei was right about the location?"

A rustling of leaves alerted Sakura to her blond teammate's change of stance. Naruto ... being restless as always; she was actually surprised he'd lasted this long without saying something.

Standing on his tree branch now, Naruto looked up at her and Sasuke. "He said to keep a watch out for the guy here but it's been over an hour and nothing!"

Sakura glanced around at the surrounding foliage. The blonde was right. They had been waiting too long, but Kakashi-sensei had instructed them to stay put while he flushed the thief out, and if there was one thing she'd learned from her time as a genin, it was to trust their erstwhile teacher.

"Just be patient," she hissed.

"But ... "

Naruto never had the chance to finish his sentence. Movement from above told them that Sasuke too had stood up.

"Someone's coming," the dark-haired boy stated gruffly. And without so much as a parting glance, he jumped off his branch in pursuit of his lead.

Sakura watched her departing teammate, her mouth opened in protest.

'So much for teamwork,' she thought with righteous indignation.

"Hey, wait for me!" Naruto yelled, finally realizing that his eternal rival had left without him. "I'll catch that guy before you, Sasuke! You'll see!"

'And so much for discretion,' she added mentally. If the criminal hadn't known they were there before, he did now, thanks to Naruto's loud proclamation.

The blonde deftly launched himself off the tree, and darted after his dark-haired teammate, his physical abilities a complete juxtaposition to his mental ones.

And Sakura ... Sakura did what she had always done: she tried to keep up with her comrades without falling completely behind.

(***)

/******

_The setting was perfect._

_Dark eyes scanned the candlelit room, and a small, empty smile formed on slightly parted lips. He had come here early with the intention of arranging the whole ambience to his liking, but he had encountered a pleasant surprise when he had seen that everything had been arranged for him already._

_He glanced apathetically over at the dead body on the bed, his victim still warm from the recent murder._

_The dead man had put up quite a struggle when he'd first discovered the intruder in his home, but, being a mere chounin, he'd barely posed a challenge for the stranger. A simple glance and a quick twist of the wrist, and death had glazed over those wide, accusing eyes. The warm trickle of blood had run a slow, syrupy trail over guilty fingers then, a testament to the easy capitulation of life._

_'It was quite pathetic really,' he thought in passing. 'If the man had been content with such a mediocre shinobi skill set his whole life, then he'd deserved to die.'_

_Tilting his head to the side like an artist evaluating a masterpiece, he walked the few steps that separated him from the bed and decided to re-arrange the corpse into a more suitable pose._

_The limbs were still malleable enough, rigor mortis having yet to set in, but it did take a bit more strength to prop the man up higher into a semi-reclined position. He took extra care in covering the wound with the bed sheets, and since the blood had coagulated enough, he wouldn't have to worry about it seeping through. Next, he let down the hair, gently tousling it so that the usually spiky locks fell in ordered disarray around the shoulders. And finally, he re-dispersed the red rose petals that had been haphazardly scattered throughout the mattress, putting as much effort into the act as a painter would putting the final touches on a painting._

_Taking a step back, he gave the scene one last appraising glance._

_The candles that burned along the corner of the room cast a parade of angular shadows across the walls, throwing the space into a war of light and dark. And yet, where the borders between the two danced, a sense of perfect balance existed, harmonizing and complimenting each other until one couldn't deny the mellow aura of the room._

_He looked once more at the dead man blanketed in the beautiful orange glow._

_Who knew that Umino Iruka had been such a romantic at heart?_

_Candles, rose petals ... all that was missing was the music._

_Satisfied with his handiwork, he quietly withdrew himself into the shadows of the closet to await the arrival of his prey. He closed the door partially, and made sure that enough space was left opened to give him a perfect view of the scene._

_Besides, what good was art when there was no one to admire it?_

_His intended target would be here soon, and he didn't want to miss this for anything in the world._

_It was a good thing he was patient by nature because a good quarter of an hour passed before the guest arrived._

_Of course, he shouldn't have been surprised._

_Hatake Kakashi had never been on time in all the years of their acquaintance, and he should've guessed that the same policy held when the silver-haired man had a rendezvous with his own lover._

_From his unseen corner, he watched with wry amusement - and, admittedly, a glimmer of morbid fascination - as the skilled jounin entered the dimly lit room. At first, the man hadn't noticed anything amiss, but then, even through that concealing mask of his, the distress became apparent._

_And he, blending in so comfortably with the shadows that surrounded him, drank in that distress like it was an aphrodisiac. A pleasant trickle of warmth washed over his skin, and sent his nerve endings firing. Despite the fact that by then, the silver-haired man had already checked for the non-existent pulse of his dead partner and stood tensed by the bed, that arousing sensation still coursed through his body._

_Years ago, the scene may have revolted him, disgusted him into retching even, but now, it proved to be as intoxicating as the most potent of elixirs, lulling and coaxing him into an almost euphoric climax._

_Yet, as with all experiences of this nature, it had to end, and sobering, he prepared himself to face the upcoming task at hand._

_After countless years of being a top-ranked ninja, Kakashi never disappointed when it came to a confrontation, and this was the case when he continued to observe the silver-haired man from his hiding spot. The shinobi's posture was ramrod straight, his shoulders thrown back and hands fisted. Even to the untrained eye, one could tell that the man was lethal, current aura notwithstanding._

_Idle fingers traced the wood of the closet door in anticipation of discovery. With the jounin's present energy filling the room, it wouldn't be long before he was found, and he could barely contain his excitement at the prospect._

_'Come, Kakashi ... find me ... find me and don't leave me like this ... '_

_The words echoed endlessly in his head, as if saying so silently would prompt the man to uncover him sooner._

_But the older fighter didn't need any encouragement; for within minutes, a deadly kunai was released in his direction, the force behind the sharp blade great enough to splinter the wood of the closet door._

_He almost laughed with joy as the well-honed weapon zipped by his cheek, the wooden slivers in its wake nearly embedding themselves in his face._

_"Who are you?"_

_Kakashi's voice hadn't changed in the six years since he'd last seen him. Its deep, lax quality never lacked for authority, and if he weren't enjoying the moment so much, he might have succumbed to a bout of nostalgia._

_"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" he said pleasantly as he stepped out from the broken door._

_The one, uncovered eye, usually drooping with the façade of boredom, widened in momentary surprise._

_"You ... "_

_ He smiled humorlessly at the reaction, although the expression probably appeared alien to the silver-haired shinobi. After all, when had the man ever seen any kind of emotion from him?_

_He allowed himself to reminisce briefly as he slowly walked nearer to his target. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't been much for enjoyment when he was younger. It was rather sad how much time he'd wasted on such petty things like peer rivalry and filial vengeance._

_Amused, he watched as Kakashi tried to move, but found himself incapable of doing so. Then again, why would he be able to run away? His death had been assured the instant their gazes had met when he'd stepped out of the closet._

_But the older shinobi never showed his panic, his question asked in his usual nonchalant tone._

_"What do you want?"_

_He shrugged, and stopped just inches away from the frozen man. He breathed in deeply, inhaling in a clean, musky scent that the late Iruka must've found attractive on his partner._

_"I would have thought you'd know the answer to that by now," he replied softly._

_"You - "_

_He watched the other man with a thoughtful light in his eyes as the rest of the sentence remained unspoken. He had long abandoned the use of conventional weapons, now preferring to kill by more natural means. And so, with an innocent look of shock, he glanced down at his right hand, his expertise of chakra-manipulation having allowed him to easily pierce the flesh with his own fingers. It had so much more of a personal touch to it, although it did get a little messy at times._

_As expected, Kakashi's blood washed warmly over his skin, the soft tissue of his abdomen encasing his limb like a finely crafted sheath, and belatedly, he realized what a bitch the substance would be to remove from beneath his fingernails. But for someone as near and dear as the silver-haired jounin, he guessed the effort would be worth it._

_" I would ask for forgiveness for what I've done," he said conversationally, as the life began to ebb from that revealing eye, "but it seems that everyone has condemned me beyond redemption years ago."_

_And with that, he withdrew his hand with a sickening sucking sound, leaving the dying man to fall ungracefully onto the bed beside his dead lover. The red rose petals jumped at the sudden disturbance, the soft, fragrant dabs of silk swirling in a macabre dance of crimson tears._

_'It's oddly grotesque, yet strangely poetic at the same time,' he thought as he casually wiped his hand on the bed sheets. Perhaps he should've become an artist instead of a fighter._

_Quickly finishing his impromptu cleaning, he gave the silver-haired man sprawled on the mattress one final look._

_He had always thought that Kakashi would die more gloriously - go out in a blaze, so to speak - and not flicker away like some pathetic candle. But nevertheless, the man had stayed true to his nature._

_No mercy had been asked._

_That was enough to maintain the reputation of the legendary copy-ninja in his mind._

_Satisfied, he smiled, and turned to leave._

_And accordingly, on his part, no mercy had been given._

******/

(***)

The human mind was such a strange thing.

He crouched carefully on the tree branch and waited for his target to pass by. Had he been thirteen years younger, his leg muscles would've complained at maintaining such a position, but now, he was more than accustomed to it. Yet, whereas his body obeyed his wishes easily, his mind was a completely different matter.

He knew he should have been concentrating on his current goal, but inexplicably, his mind was wandering, uncovering memories and images that he would much prefer to leave buried. A sick, heavy constriction still lingered in his chest, and he wondered how much longer he would have to suffer this unwanted sensation.

'Not long now,' a calm, rational voice said in his head. 'Everything will be fixed shortly, so not much longer at all ...'

No sooner had those words ran through his mind than he felt the telltale breeze he'd been waiting for.

His target was too skilled to make any noise, and thus, it would've been impossible to track for one new to the field. Yet, his years of training and fighting had more than prepared him for this task.

Thus, with an anticipation he hadn't felt in a years, he leaped soundlessly from the tree and into the path of his first target.

(***)

Kakashi had discovered long ago that he was not teacher material. Now, that was not to say that he hated his position as an instructor, but he just knew that he hadn't a classical 'teacher' bone in his body. If he had to define it, then he'd say someone like Iruka fit the mold to perfection. He, on the other hand, was more of a mentor.

Yes, that was it - a mentor.

And that would also explain why he had ordered his students to wait as he did. For all his lack of enthusiasm and encouragement in their achievements, he trusted them - wholly and implicitly trusted them as if they were a legitimate shinobi group rather than the mundane Team 7 of instructor and students. It was no surprise then - at least, not to him - that he was proud of all they'd accomplished.

Therefore, when he had told them they were to apprehend this low-class criminal after he flushed the culprit out, he had done so with the greatest confidence.

But trust and confidence only went so far.

And if he didn't catch up to those kids, there would be nothing stopping Naruto from botching the whole mission, Sasuke from killing Naruto for doing so, or Sakura from watching the whole event with steam coming from her head.

The lush, green scenery past by him in a blur as he stretched and contracted his leg muscles to their limits, the rush of freedom gleaned from the speed enough to remind him of why he had chosen to become a shinobi all those long years ago. In short, it was exhilarating to feel his body fulfill the promise of its potential, and the familiar burn from the exertion gave him a sense of accomplished satisfaction he rarely experienced doing anything else.

Throughout his years as an Anbu and as a shinobi, he had discovered something about those who managed to survive time after time. Those men and women who always seemed to emerge from conflicts alive were not necessarily the strongest or the most powerful, but they did possess an uncanny instinct of self-preservation, a sixth sense - one could say - that warned and cautioned when mortal danger was near. It was safe to assume then, that he had developed this said instinct quite thoroughly for it had saved him numerous times in the past, as it had saved him then.

The attacker had come at him from origins unknown, and even with the speed at which he'd been traveling, he had been seen and caught. It only alerted him to the skill level his mysterious enemy possessed. Reacting with an automatic response, he blocked an attack before he even saw it coming, the reflexive action learned from years past serving him in good stead. Flesh and bone connected viciously with his forearms, the strength behind the contact enough to send a shock felt right down to his teeth, and cause his balance to waver. However, with the momentum he'd acquired from his aborted dash, and the abrupt interruption, he realized too late that the physics of the whole situation were against him, and that his body was suddenly falling to the ground.

Almost immediately, conscious thought left him, and ceded control to pure, adrenalin-driven instinct. Without thinking, he quickly looked for a spot to land, and using that as a reference point, he easily found his equilibrium and forced his body to move. His limbs and muscles responded and strained with the efficiency of a well-tuned instrument, deftly flipping his entire self over and landing gracefully on the ground. A muffled symphony of cracks and rustles resulted from his action, letting him know that he'd found a spot of dried leaves and twigs far from the forest path. His knees had been bent to absorb the force of his meeting with the earth, and they remained thus in a crouch as he scanned the surrounding area with his one uncovered eye.

Whoever had attacked him had moved with a stealth and speed that far exceeded that of a regular shinobi, and his mind worked frantically to recall if he had ever encountered anyone of this level.

"Who's there?"

His tone sounded confident as he spoke. He could hear a high pitched buzzing in his ears as his blood began to course through his veins with renewed vigor, and although he never showed it, he could feel the sweat begin to form in his pores. His breaths were coming quick and shallow, the warmth being captured in the fibers of his mask and reminding him of his own vitality.

Now this ... this was the feeling he loved. This was the feeling he lived for. This was the feeling that washed over him every time he walked the thin tightrope of life and death ... for he could never feel more alive than when he faced the reality of his own mortality.

"It's me ... though I doubt you'd recognize me."

The voice had come from above him, hidden in the shifting leaves of the forest's trees, but as soon as the words had been spoken, a darkly clad figure fell softly to the ground directly in front of him.

Kakashi tensed for an attack at the appearance, yet the stranger remained still, slowly straightening to his full height as the wary jounin looked him up and down.

The unknown man was about his age, if not a year or two older, and was dressed in a dark, nondescript uniform that held no affiliation to any village. Fine, black hair fell straight to the level of his chin, held back by a head protector that bore no mark. His nose was sharp, and slightly arrogant, and was perfectly offset by a confident, well-defined jawline.

Kakashi did not recognize his opponent, but he couldn't help thinking that he'd seen the man somewhere before.

"Do I look familiar?"

The question was asked in such a stony, emotionless fashion that one of the jounin's eyebrow rose in surprise. Curious, he met the stranger's gaze, wondering where he'd heard that voice before.

And it was then, staring fixedly into the fathomless eyes of the other man that he realized who he faced. But the awareness didn't come soon enough because in that on blinding moment, he felt a rapid flash of fire caress his whole body, paralyzing every cell and molecule it came in contact with.

'Shit,' he swore in his head. If he had known sooner, if he had realized earlier ...

Try as he might, he couldn't force his eye away from the ebony-flecked crimson ones of his opponent, a tortured gaze that told more with its mysterious resolve than all of the man's words and expression combined. He could sense his energy being siphoned out of his body at an astonishing rate, the sudden absence leaving him rather lightheaded and dizzy. It wasn't long before the strength deserted his legs, causing him to fall heavily to the ground in one lumbering heap. But neither the jarring contact, nor the scratching twigs could break the trance he'd been ensnared in and he was left to watch helplessly as the other man walked nearer to his prone self.

His vision was darkening. Kakashi could feel himself slowly losing his grip on consciousness, yet he somehow managed to see sadness on his opponent's face that defied the limiting restrictions of spoken language.

"It was nice to see you again, Kakashi-sensei," the standing man said quietly as he stared regretfully down at the fallen shinobi. The words were heartfelt, their simplicity and sincerity burrowing deep into the silver-haired man's chest.

He wanted to say something, wanted to ask questions that begged for answers, but he now lacked the energy to even speak. Thus, he could only watch, watch and wait as the standing man paused for several more silent minutes before darting off into the obscure shadows of the forest from which he had first appeared, leaving the jounin with nothing but his own shallow breathing and the lulling sounds of the woods.

Kakashi understood that he would be unconscious soon; he had long learned the traumatizing effects of the Sharingan when the Uchiha clan had still existed.

Even though he knew the futility of it, he tried to move and tried to speak, wanting to resolve the queries that were running through his now-dulled mind. But all of it culminated in nothing substantial ... nothing but a hoarsely whispered word before he lapsed into darkness.

"Sasuke ... "

  
End Chapter 1

  



	3. Chapter 2

_Parallax: Chapter 2 _

(***)

He remembered how he had hated pink in his younger years.

Sasuke looked regretfully down at the slumped figure in his arms. Pink silk fanned out in a cascading waterfall over his skin like the plumage of an exotic bird, and without conscious thought, he allowed the fingers of his free hand to trail lingeringly over the smooth strands. As expected, they were soft to the touch and brought back a riot of memories.

It was funny how such simple stimuli invoked the most vivid of recollections.

Somewhere in the leafy forest, a bird had left its nest, the distant flutter of feathers echoing easily through the crisp, clean air of the woodland. Beams of mid-afternoon sunlight pierced through the upper foliage, leaving a breathtaking display of glowing columns that appeared almost tangible. And nearby, the pervading scent of tree sap tickled at his nose as it slowly trudged along on its downward journey.

For a quick second, he closed his eyes and absorbed everything around him. He wondered if he had ever really sat down and enjoyed the beauty of nature in which he had played almost his entire life.

A light breeze caressed his face just then, and rustled the hovering leaves into producing a soothing, relaxing chorus.

No, he didn't think so.

He had been preoccupied with other things back then.

Gently, he lowered an unconscious Sakura to the ground. He had come upon her quite easily after rendering Kakashi helpless. She hadn't even been aware of his presence when he'd appeared behind her and knocked her out with a restrained attack.

Sasuke straightened, his hooded eyes traveling over the prone form of the young girl.

Poor Sakura. 

She had always shown such determination in striving to match her teammates, but she could never really reach that one elusive goal.

In the days of his youth, he had never paid much attention to her - just as he had never paid attention to all the small wonders of nature that surrounded him now. That was, until they had all disappeared from his life...

Sakura would grow up to be a beautiful woman, her aquamarine eyes always shining with exuberance and her unique disposition constantly leaving a lasting impression. But he had destroyed it all, hadn't he? He had destroyed it all in one flashing moment of blindness.

Regret and guilt couldn't even begin to describe what he felt now.

His jaw clenched at the thought.

He had prided himself on being the strongest. He had been so proud of defeating and destroying all those around him. And he had enjoyed it!

Fuck, what a fool he had been!

A sardonic smile formed on his lips as obsidian eyes remained on the pink-haired girl.

So was he still the strongest? Or had that one lapse taken away the very character he had spent his whole life trying to achieve? His rational side wanted to argue it, that he was nothing more than a man who had succumbed to the flaws that had tainted him the moment his whole world had been taken away by his own brother. But his pride refused to accept that. He was still strong, and he would overcome whatever the future threw at him - including this. After all, wasn't it because of his integrity and fortitude that he'd taken the opportunity to come back and fix it all?

It seemed that in the course of his journeys, he had constantly redefined the meaning of everything he had wanted to become.

A shiver ran down his spine and he fought the urge to wrap his arms around himself to ward off the shadows and demons that now plagued him wherever he went.

What was weakness? What was strength?

What was cowardice? And what was courage?

Twenty-six years of living, and he still hadn't found the answers to those questions. He swallowed hard, and let the sadness he felt overtake his face.

He wondered if he'd ever discover their true meaning...

(***)

/******

_The taste of bloodlust and thirst for power were so intoxicating that he could understand why so many had become addicted to it. The metallic tang of blood hung so heavily in the humid air that he was certain he could probably taste the salty substance if he just stuck his tongue out. And the gratifying sense of victory merged and melded so beautifully with every cell in his body that he could have happily lived off the feeling for the rest of his life._

_But he was such a dreamer, wasn't he?_

_He looked around at the dead bodies littered about him, the heavy burden inherent to the one responsible for their deaths somehow non-existent. Instead of guilt, instead of remorse or regret, he felt an inexplicable lightness within him, and he surmised that if he started walking, his strides would have an uncharacteristic bounce. He could feel the blood begin to dry on his hands, the thin red-brown crust flaking off whenever he bent a finger. But bend his fingers he did as he brought a hand up and ran it through his sable-colored hair. He encountered a few knots in the usually spiky strands, no doubt a product of the messy carnage he'd just instigated, but ignoring the brief pain to his scalp, he combed right through them._

_Letting out a tired breath, he angled his shoulders lower and congratulated himself on a job well done._

_The Konoha village was now officially extinct._

_And he had been the catalyst._

_It had been a glorious slaughter - men and women screaming and fighting until the ground ran crimson with spilled blood. But he had defeated them all - him, the one who had betrayed them, the one who had once lived among them, the one who had finally seen what a weak creature he had been ..._

_He had enjoyed it, perhaps just as much as he'd enjoyed ending Kakashi's life not so long ago. In fact, he felt liberated - free - as if he could now faced the world without the burden of his past and without fear._

_Fear?_

_What was he afraid of? And since when had he been afraid of anything?_

_Just as the question flittered through his head, a loud clap of thunder reverberated from above, threatening him with moisture-laden clouds._

_He almost laughed at the sky's enigmatic response._

_Tilting his head back, he looked up at the ominous clouds and watched in silent reverence as jagged lines of light flashed in a soul-moving display of power. Mother Nature wished to show off and having just accomplished his most pressing goal, he was more than willing to admire her._

_"Sasuke!"_

_His name almost went unheard, rapt as he was with the darkening sky, but the flying kunai that accompanied it was more than enough to drag his attention back to the earth. The deadly blade flew dangerously close to his cheek, yet he knew it had been thrown with the intention of only being a warning._

_Instantly, his eyes narrowed, and once again, he felt the familiar surge of adrenalin shoot through his body. Quickly, he sought out the idiot who had challenged him, his muscles tensing in anticipation of another death._

_Had there been any less light, or had his opponent possessed a hair color other than bright sunshine, he may have missed him altogether. But there he stood, anger etched in every detail of that unforgettable face ... Naruto._

_The years had been kind to the blonde. He had grown to an intimidating enough height and his body had filled out into the sleekly muscled form of a fighter. But where the most changes could be seen were on his face. Clear, blue eyes that had once shone bright with single-minded naïveté now twinkled with a matured resolve that reflected a battered, but unbroken, spirit. His cheeks had lost their childish roundness, his jaw now more defined and accentuated by the whisker marks on his skin._

_Sasuke relaxed somewhat at seeing a familiar face. "Naruto," he said deeply in acknowledgment._

_From where he stood, Sasuke could feel the other man's chakra flare to an overwhelming level._

_/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /_

_"Why?"_

_That one word, that one question, echoed endlessly between them, both condemning and potentially redeeming at the same time._

_But in Sasuke's mind, it was a silly question, and frankly, he didn't see the relevance of it. "Why what?" he returned. An eyebrow rose in subdued mockery._

_The casual tone irked Naruto, and even without any verbal confirmation, the brunette knew his opponent had been riled. He smiled indulgently at the blonde._

_Naruto would always be Naruto, easy to please and just as easy to anger. "What do you mean 'why what', you fucking bastard?! The village ... Iruka-sensei ... Kakashi-sensei ... Sakura-chan ... ?"_

_His voice had started out in a near shout, but as the names spilled forth from his mouth, it slowly lost its vigor, the fire behind it suddenly replaced with a melancholy that might have pierced a weaker heart._

_/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /_

_But he had no heart - not any longer - because he had decided long ago that the damned thing was nothing but a weakness and he had been more than happy to be rid of it._

_"Oh yes, Sakura ..." A slow, seductive smile appeared as he reached down into one of his side pockets and extracted a lock of light pink hair tied together with a simple black ribbon. He nonchalantly slid the silky strands across the sensitive skin below his nose, inhaling the sweet lavender scent left in its wake. "She was such a useless teammate, but she did redeem herself in the end by not begging."_

_The provocation wasn't much, but it was enough to drive Naruto into action. Before he even had the chance to blink, the blonde had disappeared, and if it hadn't been for the gut-wrenching yell that came from above, he might not have even been aware of the direction of attack. Instantly, he pushed off, rolling over his shoulder and landing deftly on his feet. He watched with hidden appreciation as Naruto hit the very spot he'd been standing with enough force to create a small crater. The particles of displaced dirt clouded his vision momentarily but even through the flying dust, he could clearly see those beseeching blue eyes._

_/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /_

_'Murderer,' that piercing gaze accused. 'Killer, fiend, betrayer ...'_

_He had been labeled worse things in recent years, but strangely, when it came from Naruto ... when it came from the one person who had looked at him with such fierce determination and disguised admiration, he was somehow affected._

_"Why?" the blonde asked again brokenly._

_/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /_

_He didn't answer. He simply couldn't._

_"Why did you kill them?" With this, Naruto ran at him, a well-aimed fist raised with the intent to injure. _

_He blocked it easily, but didn't - couldn't - retaliate._

_"You were my teammate!" the blonde yelled with fury._

_A roundhouse kick, and another easy block._

_"You were my friend!"_

_This time, another punch to the chest, which was quickly deflected, Sasuke's face remaining expressionless as the blonde's statements rang loudly in his ears._

_/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /_

_"You were my ideal!"_

_A kunai sliced a lethal arc just millimeters from his neck, and he barely dodged it by stepping back._

_And yet, even with the appearance of the weapon in the blond shinobi's hand, all Sasuke could see was the blazing blue fire that burned endlessly in those fathomless orbs. Years ago, almost a lifetime ago, he had guiltily wondered what it would have been like to have those cerulean gems watch him, and only him, but now, with them trained so accusingly on him, he wanted them to disappear; he wanted them to turn away and leave him with the memories of the carefree days when they were filled with grudging affection._

_Again, the kunai-wielding hand swung down at him, but this time, he brought his own arms up and grabbed the offending wrist before it could complete its journey. Skin upon skin, flesh upon flesh ... the heat of the contact nearly seared itself straight into Sasuke's soul._

_/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /_

_"Why?" the dark-haired man choked out, his tone inflectionless but his voice beginning to waver. "Why did you stay with them? Why did you stay and bear the mediocrity of people who do nothing but beat you down?"_

_The blonde tried to move his arm, but found it locked securely in place by his opponent's vise-like grip. And at Sasuke's questions, some of the fire left him. "Because," he said quietly, looking steadily into dark, searching eyes, "I wanted to become the next Hokage. I wanted to be the strongest ..."_

_For some reason, the brunette felt an unknown anger flood through him at that answer. "Damnit, Naruto! Can't you see that it's all a lie? Nothing but a big, fucking lie!" And with that, in a move fueled by blind fury, he squeezed his fingers tightly around the delicate wrist within his grasp, and jerked abruptly. The bone broke with a resounding snap, causing the kunai to drop heavily._

_/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /_

_In one, swift motion, the weapon was in Sasuke's hand. Naruto didn't even have the opportunity to voice his pain, for in seconds, the well-honed blade was embedded deep in his chest._

_"Don't you understand, Naruto, that you can't be the strongest? I'm the strongest. That's why I left ... that's why I had to kill everyone ..." the dark-haired man whispered hoarsely as he watched the vibrancy leave those beautiful blue eyes. He leaned forward and gingerly brushed his mouth across those of the dying blonde's. The faint taste of mint, blood, and Naruto lingered on his lips and he ran his tongue over the moist skin to absorb as much of his rival's essence as he could._

_His former teammate tried to speak, tried to perhaps mention the flaw in his logic, but all that emerged was a sickly gurgle._

_Slowly, and shakily, Sasuke lowered his opponent to the ground, for some reason, unwilling to leave the other man alone when that final, inevitable moment came._

_Yet, that clear blue gaze never left him._

_And he ... he wanted to look away, wanted to walk away, and leave this man with all the other corpses that lay in the area, but he couldn't._

_Not Naruto. He couldn't leave Naruto ... not again._

_/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /_

_Regret. That was what he saw in the dying blonde's eyes. Regret and pity._

_He felt an urge to scream at the top of his lungs for the other man to stop it. He didn't need pity. He didn't want it!_

_He had what he wanted. He had strength. He had the affirmation that he was the strongest, and that was enough._

_/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /_

_Just then, the dark clouds decided to make good on their promise, and with one violent echo of thunder, plump drops of rain began to fall. One by one, the cleansing liquid started to wash away the blood - fresh and dried alike - from his body, and like a deprived beggar, he held his hands out in hopes of seeing the callused skin beneath the caked-on substance. But for some reason, not all of it washed off; tiny bits of color still clung stubbornly in the crevices of his hand._

_/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /_

_Like a child who had lost his way, he dropped his hands and looked down at the body before him. Those eyes were lifeless now, and in a slow, gentle gesture, he lowered the lids of his former rival and teammate._

_And so, what was he afraid of?_

_'This,' he thought. He was afraid of this. He was afraid that the blood would never wash away from his hands. He was afraid that everything he wanted would come at the expense of everything he had. And he was afraid of this ... this loneliness._

_Still, the falling rain continued to innocently drum a lulling rhythm around him, beating and tapping on everything in a refreshing baptism of renewed hope and eventual rebirth._

_His lips twitched up slightly._

_What made Naruto so special that even the heavens cried when he died?_

_'Arrogant asshole,' he said with teasing amusement in his head as he watched the blonde's unmoving body with wry fondness. And it was then, sitting there beside his former rival that he realized the drops of water that slid down his cheeks were much warmer and saltier than rain should be ..._

******/

(***)

He was tired.

He was weary of body. He was weary of heart. And he was weary of soul.

He had traveled over thirteen years into the past with a forbidden jutsu, and every joint, muscle, and organ complained with a fatigue that wasn't merely physical. But it would be worth it, or so he had tried to convince himself.

He would stop everything before it even began. He would spare everyone the darkness and the pain that would be coming. It would be his way of achieving the absolution he knew he didn't deserve.

But first, he would have to remove one more player from the scene.

Naruto.

Once he stopped the blond boy, he could continue toward his goal without interference.

Resolve shining stubbornly in dark eyes, Sasuke left Sakura's unconscious form and went in search of the boy who would one day start him on the road to redemption

(***)

In his experience, Sasuke was nothing but an idiot - a stupid, arrogant, self-absorbed idiot!

Wait, wasn't 'stupid' and 'idiot' the same thing? So wasn't he repeating himself?

Naruto stopped for a second on a tree branch and complimented himself for the quick realization.

And they all complained about him being the academically inferior one!

The blond genin grinned, and then turned serious as he carefully listened to the surrounding trees for a clue that might tell him where his brunette teammate had gone. The other boy was fast. Naruto had to give him that much, but that didn't mean he could just show off!

Still, at times, he had to admire and respect Sasuke for his skills. During some of their training sessions, he'd found himself stopping in mid-jutsu to watch his teammate practice. Although he would never let it be known publicly, he enjoyed watching his rival move - lithe, flexible limbs stretching with a poetic grace that sometimes caused his heart to skip a beat, and stole the breath from his lungs. But then, reality would come rushing in and he would continue his training with renewed vigor, determined more than before to outdo Sasuke at whatever endeavor he attempted.

He could read nothing from the surrounding trees save the ambling path of one energetic squirrel. The blonde sighed, and mentally yelled at himself for being left behind by that idiot again.

Damn, how he hated Sasuke!

Blindly, he picked a direction, and hoped that luck was on his side today. If it was, then he'd be the one to find that thief, and Sasuke would be the one looking at him with envy.

The very thought lightened his mood, and he jumped off the tree with an energy that had long become his trademark. But before he even had a chance to find his next landing point, he felt a jarring force connect with his chest, knocking the air right out of him and causing him to drop like a rock to the ground. What air had been left in his body wheezed out upon impact, and he found himself struggling to draw in some much-needed oxygen.

Belatedly, he noticed the dark figure hovering just within his peripheral vision, and felt a strange fluttering of nervousness in his stomach. Ignoring this, he tried to push himself up to face his sudden opponent, the rough debris of the forest floor digging into his hands as he rolled over.

"Who ... who are you?" the blonde managed to say.

The stranger didn't move or say anything at first. And then, "Naruto ..."

His name had been spoken with such affectionate longing that the young genin's ears literally perked up. Question upon question formed in his clueless mind, but before he had the chance to act on any of them, the dark figure had disappeared.

'Fast. He's so fast ...' he thought in astonishment just as a blinding, white light consumed his field of view and his head snapped back violently from an unseen hit. Against his better wishes, his legs crumpled and again, he fell into a heap on the ground.

But as he drifted off into unconsciousness, he couldn't help but think that the stranger's voice had sounded remarkably familiar.

  
End Chapter 2


	4. Chapter 3

_Parallax: Chapter 3 _

(***)

He had never been one to dwell on the trivial things.

Sasuke perched himself on an elevated boulder and watched the frantic scramble of the thief his team was supposed to apprehend. That was his goal, and anything that distracted him from it was only that - a distraction. Similarly, everything then was unimportant ... expendable, and therefore, unnecessary to him. It was this singular vision and focused determination that had seen him through his thirteen years of living. From the vengeance that drove him with relentless tenacity to the pride that motivated his shinobi achievements, he had - and still did - rely on this characteristic to make it through each day.

His target had nothing special to distinguish him from the regular men one would walk by on the streets. A receding hairline of slicked-back dark hair capped an unremarkable face with ordinary features. Perhaps it was these forgettable traits that made the thirty-ish man the ideal thief; he had an air that would allow him to blend perfectly into a crowd of people. But thanks to Kakashi-sensei, this man was nowhere near a crowd, and he stood out from the forest creatures like a loud, clumsy beacon.

Sasuke debated whether he should let the man flee a little further first before revealing his presence. On one hand, a hidden devilish side of him wanted to watch the man squirm a little longer, while on the other, the arrogant side of him wanted to single-handedly catch the criminal without the aid of his lagging teammates.

Knowing that no one saw him, he allowed a lopsided smile to tug at his facial muscles. He could easily defeat this inept thief, but the promise of watching Naruto attempt to upstage him would provide him with private amusement for days to come. Although he would never let it be known, he sometimes recollected the ambitious blonde's blunders on long, lonely nights when he felt the consuming emptiness creep into his soul. His burden was heavy, and the clawing demons of his clan's slaughter sometimes taunted him to his breaking point, but the antics and mishaps of Naruto's attempts to exceed him easily pulled him back from the edge.

Of course, the blonde would undoubtedly strut around like a puffed up peacock if he ever knew.

Sasuke sighed.

So it was settled then. He'd do this without his teammates, partly because he didn't feel like waiting for them, and partly because he secretly wanted to see Naruto's reaction when he found out that he'd been one step behind again.

In one familiar motion, his fingers reached into his side pouch, pulled out a couple of sharp kunai, and loosed them directly into the path of his target. The balding man stopped abruptly, his arms hugging the urn he'd stolen closer to his chest as he scanned the vicinity for his attacker.

Sasuke didn't waste any time. Swiftly, he launched himself off the large rock, and landed softly before the criminal. A quick flash of surprise crossed the older man's eyes before a large grin appeared on that bland face. His stunned posture relaxed somewhat as he stared the dark-haired boy up and down.

"A child?" he said with incredulous mockery. "They sent a child after me? Should I be flattered or insulted?"

At this, Sasuke narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He hadn't know what to expect, and shouldn't have even been surprised at the reaction, but it grated on him. It reminded him too much of ... of his brother. Again, with a speed that the untrained eye wouldn't even notice, he reached into his pouch and released a deadly shower of kunai in the older man's direction.

The thief quickly dodged the attack, his legs surprisingly fast for one who didn't carry himself like a shinobi. He easily regained his footing and actually had the audacity to chuckle at the young genin's thwarted attempt.

Sasuke unconsciously fisted his hands, his nails pressing almost painfully into his palms as the tension in his muscles increased. He wanted to scream at the man to shut up, to stop treating him like the bothersome insect his brother had labeled him to be, but he settled for a muted grunt as he sprung full force toward the criminal. His hits connected high, low, and mid-torso, yet each satisfying 'smack' was met with an anticipated block.

Frustration built to an overwhelming crescendo at his inability to land a damaging attack, and with one more feral growl, he launched his body at his opponent's middle. Again, he was blocked, but this time, the resistance from his enemy was enough to reflect his momentum against him and cause him to bounce back several meters. He managed to remain upright when his feet met the ground again, though his breaths came in burning heaves now after his recent advances.

"I think I may have overestimated you, kid," the thief stated lightly as he turned away and began to walk. "Maybe in a few years when you grow up, you'll ..."

Sasuke didn't hear the rest of the sentence as his hands began to imitate the initial forms of one of his more powerful jutsus. Those words ... that tone ... they reminded him too much of that fateful night when his entire world had collapsed around him in one burning heap. He would never allow anyone to underestimate him again. He would not accept his inferiority. He refused to!

The criminal didn't even know what hit him when the sheer power behind Sasuke's flames knocked him to the ground and the urn from his hands, the force enough to dig a small hole in the forest floor with his body. Before the older man had a chance to breathe, the dark-haired boy moved, kunai securely in his hands and leg muscles expending the pent-up fury of moments past.

Dark eyes twinkled with a murderous glint as Sasuke pounced on his target, weapon raised as he straddled the prone thief's waist.

'Hokage's orders be damned,' his rage-fuelled mind screamed as his vision become a crimson-tainted world of fury. He wanted to ... no, he _needed_ to kill, to spill the man's blood until that mocking smile and taunting tone disappeared from his memory, until his demons had been assuaged into complacency, and the screams of those who had died so many years ago had quieted.

He was blind to the fear that swam in the eyes that looked up at him, blind to the serene forest that bore witness to his condemning act, and with a final grunt of dismissal, he brought his weapon down.

"One moment of fury, and a lifetime of torment ..."

(***)

He had forgotten what a rambunctious teenager he'd been.

Sasuke watched his younger self confront and apprehend the low-class criminal with the unending well of energy and unfettered enthusiasm inherent to all youths. He vaguely remembered this period in his life; he recalled when everything had been uncomplicated and accomplishments had been achieved with singular determination. As a child, days had passed with ignorance of the real world, and although he had witnessed a slaughter that had aged him beyond his years, he had still viewed everything in terms of black and white ... of finding the end of that elusive rainbow in hopes of getting his sought-after goals. Itachi had been the villain. Itachi had done bad things. Itachi had to be destroyed. And with the drive and resolve unique to one so naïve, he had striven to accomplish his one goal without thought for anything else.

But life wasn't that simple as he had learned during the past several years. Reality wasn't only black and white, littered as it was with varying shades of gray. There were factors that pushed and pulled at even the most resolved child, and it would take time before he realized that he wasn't as invulnerable as he thought himself to be, that he couldn't always retain that tainted innocence ... and that the mythical pot of gold would never be found at the end of a rainbow.

The older man smiled sadly as the young Sasuke incapacitated the criminal and prepared for the inevitable deathblow.

"One moment of fury, and a lifetime of torment ..."

His sagely spoken words drifted toward the enraged youth and possessed the power to halt the downward arc of the lethal kunai.

The boy looked up then, and sought the origin of the statement, his mouth set in a grim, determined line.

The older man lifted up a dark eyebrow, waiting for the genin to react. He nodded his acknowledgement when their gazes finally met. "If you kill him, then be prepared to live with the consequences," he said candidly.

"Who are you?" the boy asked him in his no-nonsense manner as he stared dangerously at the interloper.

As the question left the younger shinobi's mouth, his victim saw the opportunity to escape. Catching the dark-haired boy off guard, the thief adeptly threw his would-be murderer off his own body and scrambled to his feet. The smaller Sasuke fell to the floor with a surprised 'umph', which went unnoticed by the criminal as he tried frantically to get away.

"Who am I?" the taller man repeated casually as he easily caught up to the unsuspecting thief, grabbed him by the jaw, and twisted violently. "I'll let you figure that out."

His answer was accompanied by the resounding snap of the criminal's neck, and the younger version of himself watched the whole act with a mixed look of shock and fascination.

Sasuke stared at the still idealistic boy. "If you're willing to kill, then you had better be willing to let go of all your emotions. Are you ready for that ... Sasuke?"

His own name sounded odd on his lips, but saying it somehow reminded him of a part of himself he had killed a long time ago.

The younger genin slowly rose, and brushed off the leaves and twigs that clung to his clothes. His eyes never left the stranger standing so dangerously close, and as he adjusted his body to fully face the newest threat, a bright flash of errant sunlight bounced off of his head protector.

The older fighter took in the symbol on the thing reflectively. How long had it been since he'd abandoned that mark? How long had it been since he'd deserted the shining ideals and stalwart philosophies that the symbol represented?

He mentally shook himself to pull away from the mire of melancholy that threatened to ensnare him. "Not long from now, you will be marked, Sasuke," he said in the way of grounding his wayward thoughts. His hand absently went to the side of his neck and rubbed the spot where the telltale symbol had been seared. "And it will change your life in ways you've never dreamed. You will feel a power more consuming than you've ever known, and you'll eventually give into it. All those you know will fall by your hand until you are all alone and left with nothing."

An intense, searching gaze bore into him as he spoke, and after he'd finished, the boy still retained a modicum of his shock. "How do you ... who are you?"

The jaded man observed the reaction with an impassive expression. "The 'how' is a technicality," he responded plainly, "but the 'who' ... take a good look at me, Sasuke. Who do you think I am?"

At first, the boy trained his delving gaze curiously on him, but after an indeterminate amount of time, those very eyes widened, incredulity written all over his face. "It can't ... not possible ..."

"Can't it?"

The genin shook his head in disbelief.

"There are things in this world that you wish you'd never seen, Sasuke, and I would rather end it all before it even has a chance to begin."

And with that, the older man attacked, his intent deadly and his strike lethal. But he had miscalculated the quickness of youth and his smaller self managed to evade his hit just enough to take a glancing blow off his shoulder. His hand vibrated with the thwarted sting of minimal contact and he found himself flexing his fingers to ready them again for the next attack.

The boy had absorbed the hit well, his left hand now holding his injured right shoulder as dangerous, focused eyes remained on the assailant.

'Ah, the resiliency of youth,' the older Sasuke thought with amusement as he wondered where he had gotten that determination from. He was beyond tired now, and he couldn't spend all day trying to kill the boy.

"Look at me, Sasuke," he said, almost seductively, in a low tone.

True to his naïve nature, the young shinobi met the older man's gaze, the challenging light still shining bright as a more developed Sharingan wove its way through the small body.

Cynicism would be a long time in coming, and the taller fighter was grateful for the small gift. Without anymore preamble, he walked toward the boy, his perpetual sadness slowly giving way to the excited anticipation of this planned conclusion. He would end it here ... he would end everything here before his whole world fell apart and the idealistic illusions deserted him.

"What ... what did you do to me?"

Futile actions from a boy in a futile situation.

Even though he couldn't move, the determination on that younger face told the story of continued attempts.

The older Sasuke shook his head at the stubbornness in his smaller self. He had never been one to accept the inevitable.

"Relax," he said soothingly as he raised an arm, carefully concentrating his chakra in the said limb. He felt the energy flow furiously through his body, his well-trained mind somehow aware that this would be his final, decisive action. Yet, before he had the chance to follow through, an unnoticed kunai sliced through the air, just barely skimming the skin of his hand.

Sasuke cursed himself for not having his defenses up as he watched a sliver of red liquid well up in his cut. The pain was negligible, but the fact that someone had managed to sneak up on him caused him to turn angry eyes on the new attacker.

"Hey, you! You haven't finished with me yet!" The loud voice was undeniable, and the dark-haired man wasn't surprised when he saw Naruto standing, disgruntled, several meters away. But the chakra - an overwhelming, all-encompassing chakra - was something he hadn't been prepared for.

The demon fox ... he'd forgotten all about it.

Sasuke smiled wickedly. It had been so long since he'd sparred with this Naruto; once upon a time, he'd been awed by this energy, and it had been what motivated him to reach the limits of his potential, but now, it was his chance to re-live a childhood fantasy before he put an end to everything.

"Come then, Naruto," he said encouragingly. "Let me finish you off ..."

Those words - haunting words he had said years ago in the days when their rivalry had become one of his primary lifelines - instilled in him such a sense of nostalgia that he almost wished the moment would never end.

Not needing any more of an invitation, the blonde attacked, his aura almost visible as he screamed with the anger of being passed over for his eternal rival. And Sasuke reacted, leaving his frozen younger self behind and rapidly meeting the attack with a fervor more suited for someone half his age.

They met in a blazing explosion of strength and power, a clash of the metaphorical titans where only their own world existed and reality was nothing more than a mere plaything. Even after everything he'd suffered and endured, Sasuke had never met anyone who matched the beautiful fury of his blond teammate. Blow after blow, and deflection after deflection, he felt his every wish and every want being fulfilled, and it wasn't long before he realized that there had never been a period in his life that he'd been happier than when he fought with Naruto. Through all his achievements, through all his accomplishments, he could never - and would never - find a time when he'd been more content. This was his one ultimate desire, his one true wish ... his one perfect moment.

But like a falling star, his euphoria quickly faded as they both went crashing to the ground, each having given and received a damaging hit from the other. Sasuke could feel his whole body spasm at Naruto's powerful hit, but as soon as he regained control of his muscles, he rose and charged blindly toward his opponent. He had managed to re-channel his chakra and was prepared to end the fight as the victor.

However, he was not the only one with that intention in mind for Naruto had recovered just as quickly, the blond genin charging as well with kunai clutched tightly in both hands.

The set-up was ideal for Sasuke because he knew that in such a scenario, he could easily overpower the blonde, but inexplicably, unexpectedly, that vibrant flash of blue appeared in his mind's eye, and he hesitated.

He had always thought that dying would be much more painful. Instead, it didn't feel like anything at all ... just plain numbness.

'What a funny twist of fate,' he mused, enduring an eerie sense of déjà vu.

He stared curiously down at the kunai buried deep in his own chest, his blood trickling over two small hands that still held tight to the handle. With more strength than he'd anticipated, he looked up into those burning, blue eyes, beautiful gems that would follow him to the grave. Slowly, he brought a hand up and delicately traced the smooth skin of the blond boy's face, committing each pure and innocent detail into his memory.

This was how he wanted to remember him. This was how he wanted to remember Naruto ... so clean, so untainted ... so perfect.

Naruto allowed him his exploration, his keen eyes searching the man he'd just defeated. And then, realization lit up on his face, followed by an expression of undisguised horror.

"Sasuke ..."

The dying man smiled, a strange sight in his opinion, since he knew his lips were dyed deep red with the blood he tasted in his own mouth.

"You selfish bastard! You fucking, selfish bastard!" Horror gave way to unparalleled anger as Naruto finally figured out what had just happened. "This was what you wanted all along, wasn't it? Idiot ..."

Sasuke couldn't seem to wipe the smile from his face. So, he decided to look down again.

Naruto's hands were almost all covered now, the sticky, viscous fluid eagerly coating those young fingers, but somehow, he knew with undeniable certainty that Naruto would come through this as spirited and as boastful as he'd ever been.

He would have laughed if he'd had the energy. 

So he wasn't as strong as he'd originally thought.

And maybe ... just maybe, Naruto was the stronger one after all.

  
End Chapter 3  



	5. Epilogue

_Parallax: Epilogue _

(***)

Damn him.

Sasuke threw a rock into the pond, the resulting ripples disturbing the serene surface in an artful display of sound materialized. He searched around him for another pebble to throw, the tiny thing his only outlet for the anger and frustration he felt.

Damn Naruto and his stupid need to upstage him.

And he ... he had actually needed to be saved!

Another pebble met the water with a lone 'plop' as he forcefully tossed it in.

_/ All those you know will fall by your hand until you are all alone and left with nothing ... /_

That man's voice ... no, _his_ voice still rang clear in his head, a macabre premonition of things to come.

He bit his lip - hard - until the pain brought unshed tears to his eyes. 

It wasn't true. It couldn't be true ... could it?

"Hey, Sasuke! Sa - suke!"

The dark-haired genin heard Naruto before he even saw him, and when the boy marched up beside him, he fought the urge to knock the blonde out for disturbing his peace.

"C'mon, Sakura's waiting for us so we can get our next mission."

He glanced over at the loud boy, and wondered how his exuberance could remain so untarnished after what had happened.

"Do you think that that's the person I'm going to become?"

The query escaped his mouth before he even noticed, and it stopped Naruto in his tracks. Sasuke quickly turned his attention to the pond, silently berating himself for asking such a revealing question.

"I don't know, Sasuke," the blonde finally replied after a minute of silence, serious for once. "But if you try not to become that person, I think you can change it ... the future, I mean."

At the hyperactive boy's response, Sasuke didn't react. He continued to stare into the pristine waters of the small pond before him.

Eventually, Naruto understood that he wouldn't get anything more from his rival, and began walking away to leave the other boy alone.

"Parallax."

That one word made the blonde pause. He turned back to the dark-haired genin. "Huh?"

"Parallax," Sasuke repeated, eyes still riveted on the pond. "It means seeing the same thing from different points of view. He saw everything as someone who has lived it. I'm seeing everything as someone who has yet to live it. But no matter how it's looked at, it's always the same thing."

Naruto stared, clueless, at his teammate. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, scratching his head. "I just live each day as it comes, and beat whatever bad guy gets in my way of becoming the next Hokage. Now, c'mon, Sakura's waiting."

But the dark-haired boy didn't move, and after a brief moment of stillness, Naruto decided to leave his teammate to brood on his own.

Sasuke listened to the receding footsteps of the blonde, somehow missing the commotion that usually accompanied the annoying genin. Finding one more pebble, he threw it as far as he could into the pond.

"Live each day as it comes, huh?" he said under his breath as he turned to follow his rival. "So it's a challenge then?"

  
End Epilogue

End Parallax  



End file.
